Bridle.



-W. T. HOPSON.

BRIDLE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5, I918.

Patented Mar. 11, 1%).

" wm I'm 7TH 71son "WILLIAM T. HOPSON, OF LEXINGTON, MISSISSIPPI.

BRIDLE.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Applicationfiled December 5, 1918. Serial No. 265,382.

To all whom it maylccncern Be it known that I, VVILLIAM T. HoPsoN, acitizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lexington, in the county ofHolmes and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bridles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bridles and has for a primary object theconstruction of a bridle which may be quickly and easily adjusted foruse on different sizes of animals, without limiting the advantages ofthe bridle in any way.

A further object is to avoid the use of a cumbersome and unsightlydevice without surrendering any of the characteristic features ofstandard bri dles, at the same'time permitting of such a completeadjustability that the bridle is adapted for use with almost any sizedanimal.

Other objects of the invention will be in part described and in artunderstood from the following description of the present preferredembodiment taken in conjunction with-the drawings, in which Figure 1 isa side elevational view of a bridle constructed in accordance with myinvention illustrating the application of same.

nation crown and head straps, illustrating the manner in which they areconnected to the throat strap.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the bridleshowlng the upper andlower units removed.

jaw strap 5. The ends of the straps 2 and 3 j are fixedly engaged withrings 6. The ends of strap 1 arefixedly engaged with rings 7. The jaw.strap 5 isdet'achably engaged with the rings 7 as shown to advantage inFigJL to permit the a iustment' of said strap if desired.

The upper and lower units areadjustably engaged by check straps 8 eachof which in the present instance consists of a main strap is aperspective view of the combi 9 the upper end of which is engaged-with asnap fastener 10. Said upper end of strap 9 is provided with apluralityzof openings 11 so that when the free terminal of the strap isfolded upon itself certain of the openings will aline, these openingsbeing adapted to register with openings in stays 12. Any suit, ablemeans may be used for engagement through such alining openings in orderto secure said strap 9 to the stays 12. In the instant case smallstrands of raw hide 13 are used. The other component part of the cheekstrap 8 is an auxiliary strap 14: one end of which is engaged with oneof the rings-7, said end being also provided with a plurality ofopenings adapted to aline when the free terminal of the strap is foldedupon itself after having been passed through the ring 7. Certain of thestays 1'2 are also detacliably engaged with the auxiliary strap in amanner identical with that above recited in connection with the mainstrap 9. The upper end of the auxiliary strap carries a buckle 15 forengagement with the free end of the main strap 9.

Blinders 16 of the usual or any desired configuration are securedbetween the stays 12 by means of rivets or the like, it being apparentfrom the drawings that each stay consists of a pair of parallellyarranged straps the upper series of which are secured to the blinders atright angles to the cheek straps 8. while the lower series of stays areprefer ably secured at an angle oblique to the cheek straps.

A throat strap 17 j is used which is intermediately connected to thecrown strap 2 and is also connected at substantially diametrical pointsto throat latches 18. It will be noted that thethroat latches areadjustably engaged with rings 6 whereby adjustment of the throatstrapforwardly or rearwardly of the animal will be permitted. The

free ends of the throat strap are equipped with corresponding buckle andaperture con nections so-that adjustment of said strapscircun'iterentially of the animals neck w1ll be permitted.

A bit 19 of any desired form is detachably engaged with the rings 7through the medium of snap hooks 20. As is obvious therefore the bit maybe removed when desired permitting use of this invention as a halterenabling the animal to be fed and watered without incony'enience.

In use of this device it will be observed Patented Mar. 11. 1919.

that the lower unit 2 may be adjusted independently of any other part ofthe bridle by merely removing the 'raw hide connecting strands,and'moving the unitto the desired adjusted position, then repassing thestrands through the openings in the auxiliary strap 14, which areinalinement. The upper unit 1 maybe correspondingly adjusted when desired.The blinders will of course of necessity become disengaged by removal ofthe [raw hide strands, but it is understood that the blinders may bereengage'd with the cheek straps so as to lie in the same position, withrespect to the animal, as they did ,before the adjustment was made.However-{if desired the blinders may be simultaneously adjusted with theadjustment of the cheek st'r'aps. It is also my desire to provide abridle which can be removed except for the head stall and.

throat strap to prevent irritation of fractious animals frequentlycaused by bringing the bridle in contact with the ears of the animal, 1

":It is. to be understood that minor changes in; details ofconstruction,- proportion and 1.2ee,eoe

arrangement of parts may be made Without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention.

That I claim is 2-- 1. A bridle including upper and lower units adjustably connected together, a throat strap pivotedly engaged with theupper unit at one point and adjustably connected with said unit atdiametrically opposite points.

2. A bridle including upper and lower units adjustably connectedtogether and a throat strap pivoted on said upper unit, throat latchesconnecting said strap to said upper unit and means adjustably connectingthe ends of said strap.

3. A bridle including upper and lower units, the latter carrying a bitand cheek straps, and snap hooks carried by the cheek straps andengageable with the upper unit whereby said lower unit bit and cheekstraps can be removed from the'animal independently of the upper unit.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM T. HOPSON.

co'plesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

